Kargil War.docx

KARGIL WAR (3 May – 26 July 1999) The Kargil War, also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between 3 May and 26 July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LOC). In India, the conflict is also referred to as Operation Vijay which was the name of the Indian operation to clear the Kargil sector. The cause of the war was the infiltration of Pakistani soldiers and Kashmiri militants into positions on the Indian side of the Line of Control, which serves as the de facto border between the two nations. Pakistan blamed the fighting entirely on independent Kashmiri insurgents. However, documents left behind by casualties and later statements by Pakistan's Prime Minister and Army Chief showed involvement of Pakistani paramilitary forces. The Indian Army, supported by the air force, attacked the Pakistani positions and, with international diplomatic support, eventually forced a Pakistani withdrawal across the Line of Control (LOC). The standoff between approximately 10,000-20,000 Indian troops and 80,000 Chinese troops ended on 21st November after China declared a ceasefire.

LOCATION The war is occur at the Kargil District, Kashmir that is between India and Pakistan border. The town of Kargil is located 205 km (127 mi) from Srinagar, facing the Northern Areas across the Line of Control (LOC). Like other areas in the Himalayas, Kargil has a continental climate. Summers are cool with frigid nights, while winters are long and chilly with temperatures often dropping to −48 °C (−54 °F). The combination of thin air, cold weather and rugged mountains has dramatic effects on men and their equipment. Reduced oxygen leads to a variety of physiological changes and illnesses, some of which can prove fatal. Low air pressure alters the accuracy and range of both weaponry and aircraft. Cold weather incapacitates soldiers and degrades equipment. Mountainous terrain makes all aspects of warfare more difficult. THE WAR There were three major phases to the Kargil War. First, Pakistan infiltrated forces into the Indian-controlled section of Kashmir. The next stage consisted of India discovering the infiltration and mobilizing forces to respond to it. The final stage

involved major battles by Indian and Pakistani forces. Because the Pakistani soldiers and terrorists had positioned themselves at higher altitudes, it gave them an advantage in combat, as they could fire down at advancing Indian troops. Pakistan shot down two Indian fighter jets while another fighter jet crashed during the operation. Pakistan asked the US to intervene, but then President Bill Clinton declined to do so until Pakistani troops were withdrawn from the Line of Control. As Pakistani troops withdrew, the Indian armed forces attacked the rest of the outposts, managing to get back the last of them by July 26. In addition, the Kargil War is also involved with few other battle and operation that include the Operation Vijay, Operation Safed Sagar and Operation Talwar. OPERATION VIJAY - LAND OPERATIONS The Indian Army launched “Operation Vijay”, a mobilisation of 200,000 Indian troops. However, because of the nature of the terrain, division and corps operations could not be mounted, subsequent fighting was conducted mostly at the regimental or battalion level. In effect, two divisions of the Indian Army, numbering 20,000, plus several thousand from the Paramilitary forces of India. The total number of Indian soldiers that were involved in the military operation on the Kargil-Drass sector was thus close to 30,000. The number of infiltrators, including those providing logistical backup, has been put at approximately 5,000 at the height of the conflict. This figure includes troops from Pakistan-administered Kashmir who provided additional artillery support. OPERATION SAFED SAGAR - AIR OPERATION The Indian Air Force launched “Operation Safed Sagar” in support of the mobilization of Indian land forces, but its effectiveness during the war was limited by the high altitude and weather conditions, which in turn limited bomb loads and the number of airstrips that could be used. OPERATION TALWAR - NAVAL OPERATION The Indian Navy also prepared to blockade the Pakistani ports to cut off supply routes under “Operation Talwar”. The Indian Navy's western and eastern fleets joined in the North Arabian Sea and began aggressive patrols and threatened to cut Pakistan’s sea trade. This exploited Pakistan's dependence on sea based oil and trade

flows. Later, then-Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif disclosed that Pakistan was left with just six days of fuel to sustain itself if a full-scale war had broken.

FINAL BATTLE (Result) On 26 July 1999, India regains possession of Kargil and that is decisive Indian victory. The Indian army launched its final attacks in the last week of July, as soon as the Drass subsector had been cleared of Pakistani forces, the fighting ceased on July 26. The Army declared the mission successful on July 26, 1999, since then the day has been celebrated annually as Kargil Vijay Diwas. By the end of the war, Pakistan had to withdraw under international pressure and due to pressure from continued fighting at battle front and left India in control of all territory south and east of the Line of Control, as was established in July 1972 as per the Simla Agreement. CASUALITIES The victory came at a high price. The official death toll on the both side was Pakistan confirmed that 453 soldiers were killed meanwhile India gave its official casualty figures as 527 killed and 1,363 wounded. AFTERMATH From the end of the war until February 2000, the Indian stock market rose by more than 30%. The next Indian national budget included major increases in military spending. After the war, the Indian government severed ties with Pakistan and increased defence preparedness. India increased its defence budget as it sought to acquire more state of the art equipment. Kashmir became the nuclear flash point and Kargil issue was made internationalized. India and Pakistan both came to know their potentials. Pakistan’s foreign policy was failed and the propagator front was proved a total collapse. Shortly after declaring itself a nuclear weapons state, Pakistan had been humiliated diplomatically and militarily. Faced with the possibility of international isolation, the already fragile Pakistan economy was weakened further. The morale of Pakistan forces after the withdrawal declined as many units of the Northern Light Infantry suffered heavy casualties. The government refused to accept the dead bodies of many officers an issue that provoked outrage and protests in the Northern Areas because Pakistan initially did not acknowledge many of its casualties.

https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/kargil-99.htm https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/all-you-need-to-know-aboutkargil-war/gallantry-awards/slideshow/59772219.cms